Kundalini Splendor

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Shiva/Shakti: Kundalini Splendor

Once again, I am so impressed with Ivan Granger's poem for today, and his insightful interpretation that I am reprinting the poem and much of his commentary here. Thanks again, Ivan. (I am especially drawn to this poem, because my own opening occurred during meditation on the image of Shiva and Shakti in union.)

I offer obeisance to the God and Goddess,The limitless primal parents of the universe.

They are not entirely the same,Nor are they not the same.We cannot say exactly what they are.

How sweet is their union!The whole world is too small to contain them,Yet they live happily in the smallest particle.

These two are the only onesWho dwell in this home called the universe.When the Master of the house sleeps,The Mistress stays awake,And performs the functions of both.

When He awakes, the whole house disappears,And nothing at all is left.

Two lutes: one note.Two flowers: one fragrance.Two lamps: one light.

Two lips: one word.Two eyes: one sight.These two: one universe.

In unity there is little to behold;So She, the mother of abundance,Brought forth the world as play.

He takes the role of WitnessOut of love of watching Her.But when Her appearance is withdrawn,The role of Witness is abandoned as well.

Through Her,He assumes the form of the universe;Without Her,He is left naked.

If night and day were to approach the Sun,Both would disappear.In the same way, their duality would vanishIf their essential Unity were seen.

In fact, the duality of Shiva and ShaktiCannot exist in that primal unitive stateFrom which AUM emanates.

They are like a stream of knowledgeFrom which a knower cannot drinkUnless he gives up himself.

Is the sound of AUM divided into threeSimply because it contains three letters?Or is the letter 'N' divided into threebecause of the three lines by which it is formed?

So long as Unity is undisturbed,And a graceful pleasure is thereby derived,Why should not the water find delightIn the floral fragrance of its own rippled surface?

It is in this manner I bowTo the inseparable Shiva and Shakti.

A man returns to himselfWhen he awakens from sleep;Likewise, I have perceived the God and GoddessBy waking from my ego.

When salt dissolves,It becomes one with the ocean;When my ego dissolved,I became one with Shiva and Shakti.

-- from Jnaneshvar: The Life and Works of the Celebrated Thirteenth Century Indian Mystic-Poet, Translated by Swami Abhyayananda

============Here is (part of ) Ivan's explanation:

"In Indian metaphysics, the primal duality is between the God and the Goddess, in this case Shiva and Shakti. The God, Shiva, represents the eternal, transcendent aspect of the Divine Reality. The Goddess is Shakti, that is, power or manifestation. Shakti is the Divine Reality in movement, expressing Itself as all of Creation.

On an individual level, Shiva is experienced as resting in the energy center of the crown, and Shakti is the Kundalini force that typically lies dormant at the base of the spine. When the latent Kundalini Shakti is awakened, She rises to the crown and joins in union with Shiva. This is the 'spiritual marriage' that initiates enlightenment and bliss ("How sweet is their union!").

This is the dance of duality and nonduality that occurs throughout the universe, among galaxies, within individuals, even within the particles of the atom. Everything has its essence and its expression, and its expression is always seeking to reunite with its essence. Matter, manifestation is always seeking union with Spirit. But... on careful examination, one recognizes that the two, in fact, have never been separate. There is no dividing line; the one emanates from the other, like a fire and the heat it radiates.

Understanding this, the poem opens up into a precise description of the subtle nature of reality. "They are not entirely the same," because distinctions can be made between these two aspects of the Divine, "Nor are they not the same," because these distinctions are somewhat artificial, mental constructions. (Does fire exist without heat? Does heat exist without its source? Can we truly speak of fire apart from heat? We should more accurately speak of fire-heat as a single thing. The distinction is an artificial separation.) "We cannot say exactly what they are," because the truth is beyond the ability of the intellect to formulate into words; it can only be perceived directly.

"When He awakes, the whole house disappears, / And nothing at all is left." That is, when we completely reside in our true essence, everything we see and touch and taste and hear and smell is recognized as being part of that same essence. The distinction between things is lost. Form and space may still be perceived, but they are seen as empty, illusory. The 'thingness' of things is lost... "nothing at all is left." You lose even yourself, your identity as a being who is separate from that all-pervading living essence: "They are like a stream of knowledge / From which the knower cannot drink / Unless he gives up himself."

This perception of the 'thingless' nature of reality leads some masters speak of being blind or of not seeing the world. "In unity there is little to behold..." Which leads to the reason for the existence of duality in the first place, so the Eternal can come to know itself better: "He takes the role of Witness / Out of love of watching Her." It is a game, a form of love play, a sort of hide-and-seek the Divine plays with itself. Instead of pure Being, the Divine One pretends to be two, perceiver and perceived, in order to observe Its own nature. And we are a living part of that play of self-consciousness.

But, ultimately, the game of duality, of actor and witness, collapses in on itself, and the truth of unity can be denied no longer. Shiva and Shakti are "inseparable;" they are not two, but one. The crown and the Kundalini are not separated by some distance of space along the spine; they are two poles of the same being (you!). How can the Self be separate from its own self-expression? How can the fire be separate from its heat?

When we stop fighting so hard to perpetuate the game of duality, through the constant assertion of the ego and the endless chatter of the mind, then we are finally able to settle into the awareness that there is only unity and nothing else.

So, along with Jnanadev, to the divine game of duality, I bow. And to the fundamental unity that underlies it, I bow."

Monday, July 25, 2005

Who Can Heal Us?

Recently, I attended an afternoon workshop demonstrating the healing skills of a well known energy healer. Many reported that their symptoms were alleviated or perhaps had disappeared entirely during the session. For some reason, I had a negative reaction. I felt quite exposed and even somewhat violated to be presented in this way (another case to be revealed in all her imperfection) before a public audience. Instead of feeling empowered, I felt diminished. My pain subsided somewhat at the time, but this morning, I experienced deep pain in some of the areas supposedly healed.

This healer was clearly quite expert in his technique. He has a long record of successes. He was quite self-confident in his manner, and indeed, assured us many times over that the trick was not to be bothered by our pain or that of others; we were instructed to locate the "source," (mental or psychological distress), to identify the emotion, and then to dismiss it rather than identifying with it. It sounded easy. It also sounded a bit too easy, rather like repeating "just say no" to cure addiction.

Of course, I totally agree that physical pain has a mental or emotional component, and locating and identifying that source can in fact often alleviate the suffering. But, on reflection, I think I felt too threatened by this man's manner to respond to his efforts. My anxiety stood in the way of the process. From his point of view, I "didn't want" to be healed. From my point of view, I was too up tight to relax into the experience. He insisted there were two possible responses to everything--either strong or weak. He had a very strong personality. I became weak in his presence. We were not a good fit.

My chi gong teacher, on the contrary, is a very soft, very caring person. She is, to be frank, somewhat disorganized. She often forgets the forms, and even has to look them up in her instruction book. But in her classes, I often have wondrous experiences. All anxiety is gone. I can learn forms from her in a way quite novel for me. I often experience bliss states which lift my spirits for days to come. I love going to class, because there I am strong, though she sometimes seems a bit "weak."

So, this discussion leads to the question: who can really heal us? Is it the "authority figure" (read doctor, therapist, renowned teacher, famous healer) who supposedly "knows it all", and offers us a kind of condescending prescription for improvement in our lives? Or is it a kind and loving spirit who helps us find the healer within, the one waiting to be called forth in the right circumstances?

(And I can't help noting that the former represents the "masculine model" of distanced expertise, and the latter the "feminine" mode of caring concern which often combines with knowledge to produce outstanding results.)

Friday, July 22, 2005

What is Tantra?

Ivan Granger, on his sacred poetry site http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/Traditions/ShaktaTantra.htm describes tantra in a particularly insightful and lucid way. His description does much to clear up many misconceptions on this complex topic:

Tantra is often thought of in the West as an exotic way to improve one's sex life. This is a tragic oversimplification of a rich and honorable spiritual tradition.

Tantra is a relatively modern development within Yoga and Hindu traditions, having emerged in the Middle Ages in response to what had become excessively patriarchal and world-denying practices in India.

The Tantric masters turned their devotions to the various Goddesses of the Hindu pantheon (Kali, Durga, Lakshmi, etc.). In the spiritual language of Hinduism, when God is conceived of as a male/female duality, the male divinity is pure spirit, inert, while the female aspect is the divine radiance or power (Shakti) through which creation manifests. In other words, all that is perceived or experienced as part of the manifest world is Shakti, the Goddess. One who worships the Goddess, the emanating power of the Divine, is a Shakta.

The Tantric tradition asserts that all of creation, not simply the transcendental, is divine, for everything equally originates from God. Everything can, therefore, be a path back to the divine so long as one does not become attached to the changing world of phenomenon.

As to the sexual aspect of Tantra, it is only practiced by certain schools of Tantra, and even then with a deep philosophical underpinning. Recognizing that sexual passion is one of the strongest forces driving individuals, some Tantric masters reasoned that its power could be harnessed to turn the mind toward God rather than keeping the individual trapped in materiality. Tantric sexual practices involve seeing the Divine manifest in one's mate, sublimating the sensual aspects of sex toward developing internalized spiritual energies, turning sexual union into a loving and energetically charged form of worship and meditation.

Tantrism is particularly concerned with precise awareness of the pathway of subtle energies within the body during meditation and other spiritual practices. What is not widely known is that the notion of the chakra system, with its seven primary energetic centers along the cerebro-spinal axis, comes to us through the tradition of Tantra.

Hatha Yoga, with its elaborate physical exercises, is considered by many scholars to actually be a branch of Tantra. There has also been a very close link between Tantrism and Tibetan Buddhism.

Recommended Books Devoted to the Goddess : The Life and Work of Ramprasad, by Malcolm Mclean The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, by M. (Sri Mahendra Gupta) / Translated by Swami Nikhilananda Grace and Mercy in Her Wild Hair: Ramprasad Sen - Selected Poems to the Mother Goddess, Translated by Leonard Nathan / Clinton Seely Great Swan: Meetings with Ramakrishna, by Lex Hixon Kali: The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar, by Elizabeth U. Harding Mother of the Universe: Visions of the Goddess and Tantric Hymns of Enlightenment, Translated by Lex Hixon The Poets of the Powers: Freedom, Magic, and Renewal, Translated by Kamil V. Zvelebil Singing to the Goddess: Poems to Kali and Uma from Bengal, Translated by Rachel Fell McDermott The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice, by Georg Feuerstein

Related Links: Kali Mandirhttp://www.kalimandir.org/Kali temple in California. Several good articles on Kali and Goddess-worship in general. Shiva Shakti Mandalamhttp://www.shivashakti.com/Lots of information on the rich heritage, traditions and philosophy of Tantism. Many Tantric scriptures translated and posted on-line.

(copyright, Ivan Granger)

Thanks, Ivan. I especially liked the sentence "Tantrism is particularly concerned with precise awareness of the pathway of subtle energies within the body during meditation and other spiritual practices." This comment describes my own spiritual practice, which involves little movement or activity of any kind--but simple awareness of what is going on inside, often sensed as blissful play of the energies within. Yet, these sensations of bliss seldom occur (for me) unless I am focused, quiet, and seek connection with the "goddess" (kundalini herself) in devotional meditation. Then, "she" and I become one, united in what feels like a divine union. What enables this sense of union to occur remains a mystery. It is as though an internal switch is turned on to achieve this "higher" state. Once the meditation is finished, I return immediately to a state of "normal" (mundane) consciousness.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

More on Bridge People

Recently, I referred to an article by Daniel Jacob on the "bridge people," those who are here at this time to help us make the transition to the new era. Daniel has now given me permission to quote more from his article, which I think offers much to contemplate.

The Bridge People B Y D A N I E L J A C O B

HAVING JUST RETURNED FROM PARTICIPATING IN the Conscious Living Expo in Spokane, Washington, I find myself fascinated with the diversity and quality of people who are "coming out of the woodwork" and revealing themselves at large gatherings such as these. There are as many Masters and Soul Healers walking through the aisles and sitting in the lectures as there are producing and staffing these events. The energy was high in Spokane, and potential for connection and collaboration was enormous. It was truly a smorgasbord of love for a people-person like me. Because we featured information on the New Kids, many people brought by their own children so we could meet them. Nearly all had stories to tell, about the powers and the purpose currently flowing in and around our Children of the New Earth.

Most of you are aware that something marvelous is underway on Planet Earth. Souls are expanding (sometimes painfully!)... and hearts are being filled with this huge sense of "impendingness" that can be almost overwhelming at times. We, as a Planet, are making our journey HOME. We are REMEMBERING... and, as we do, our options for growth and healing are increasing by ten, twenty, fifty, or a hundredfold! Moving from lives of 3D Limitation to Journeys of Reconnection is a big, big deal. Support is almost always needed, and I am finding that when "times of transformation" grow near, the right kind of support always seems to be there. How does that famous phrase go? “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”

I saw this clearly reflected in those I met this last weekend. For every person who prepared to open to remembrance and ancient knowledge, there were a whole host of "midwives" who gathered 'round, offering support and guidance through the process. Years ago, before the Harmonic Convergence, I reclaimed a great deal of my own remembrance at Psychic Fairs and Expos. There I met some of my most powerful teachers as well.

There are those who always seem to arrive on the scene at just the right time. They assess the needs of our situation and they say and do just enough to lubricate and illuminate the process so that spiritual rebirth can occur. My Spiritual Guides, The Reconnections, will often refer to these powerful folks as "Bridge People."

Old Souls in New Bodies In one of the earlier transmissions, the Recons used these words to describe the power and life purpose that we are discussing today:

"Whether one visualizes them as resurrected, born again, or simply Gods and Goddesses come down to mix with mortals - there will appear shortly upon the face of the Earth a race of priests and rulers - the souls of ancient and beloved Shamans and Druids, come back to experience the final "act" of this play.

Indeed, they live and breathe upon the planet as we speak. Many of them have purposefully "forgotten" who and what they are. They wake up to normal jobs, as did Richard Bach's "reluctant Messiah," yet they surely are not "normal." They sit beside you at the diner, shop in your grocery stores, and lie on beaches reading books and magazines.

These are the Children of Oneness, aged and seasoned to meet the need which shall soon present itself! Though they were born "from the old ways" and steeped in ancient customs and bygone disciplines, they return today to stand beneath the Tree of Life. As thunder rolls and temporary chaos shakes the Tree, these wise and wondrous beings shall catch the ripe fruit, precisely where it falls."

One essential characteristic of a Bridge Person is a well-developed sense of fairness and energetic neutrality concerning what is happening here in 3D. Deep down, we know this is all just a Game. It is a planned excursion from Eternal Spiritual Beingness into Human Limitation. We do it, grow and expand, as a Planetary Oneself. We also do it to explore more carefully who and what we all are. Finally, we do it for amusement... and amuse us it surely does!

The parts of us that need to be laid aside while we're on our 3D Journey are carefully watched over by Guardians who keep them safe and return them to us when they are needed. When the Reconnections first approached me back in 1991, they described themselves as all those parts of my expanded self that I had to forget about in order to become human. In a sense, Bridge People serve this same purpose for humanity. We keep one foot on solid ground, even while other parts of us soar through the heavens, searching for new truth and imagery to light the way home.

The Guides continue, as they describe what it's like to travel this path:

“Your world systems, your planetary alignments, your modes of thought and manner of living, are soon to transform. Crafty forces within your governments, angry citizens without, rush at each other...O! So silently, neither one comprehending the storehouse of terrors that each has directed against the other.

To "abstain" from taking a position "against" someone or something, in a highly polarized environment, is to become functionally invisible. Indeed, it is our resistance against someone or something that landed us in physical form in the first place! To unravel, bit by bit, each strand of judgment and condemnation - to begin to embrace all others as reflections of yourself - Is to merge with a new vibration, a "homing beacon" of grace and peace that creates a whole new world.

To learn how to "hide" in this maelstrom of worry, hostility, aggression, and separation is to begin to live "between the cracks" of society. When you are lost in the crowd and looking for comfort, it often feels as though you are the only one left with any sense of softness, any desire for freedom from the din of hostility. Then suddenly, an invisible hand reaches out from behind a lamp post and pulls you into a hiding place where Spirit can teach you how to look at life from an entirely new angle.

The Spirit of Oneness calls forth its leaders by peeling away their Veil of Forgetfulness, like layers of an onion. As in days of old, the leader will not seek this post, -but rather, each simply acquiesces to his assigned duty through finding that he can literally do nothing else!”

Again, we're talking Spiritual Gifts here, aren't we? We’re talking about a pre-set motivational urge that comes, when it is time for Bridge People to go into action, playing out soul contracts that were struck long before we made our journey into this World of Form. When we arrive here, we are asleep (at least some of us are). And then, at the proper time, an internal alarm sounds and we began to awaken. That which was forgotten automatically comes to the fore.

Many of our New Kids are being born fully conscious. They remember what it was like to leap out of mother's womb, and they waste no time telling perplexed parents who they were (or are) in other lives, and what they came here to do in this one. They wear these traits for us, because many Baby Boomers have chosen to remain asleep. Because somebody has to do the work, our kids leap right into it.

A Force of NatureThe Guides tell us that Bridge People are not a race, per se. They are more like a force of nature, a will to survive! They put on bodies, they take off bodies, so they can make their appearances in time and space. But really, they are everywhere (and nowhere), all at once. In each incarnation they carry a memory of being a "survivor." But those difficulties and dissonances that they hold in memory, those life conundrums or periods of momentary heartbreak, are a mere pittance compared to the maelstroms that they have transcended and endured across time. And now, some of YOU are being called forth to be Bridge People as well:

“At this important period in Earth’s History, many of you toss and turn in your sleep, praying for peace in the world. My Dear Friends, you ARE peace. You are the Watcher who sees, the Feeler who senses each and every nuance of what is happening. Stillness is a part of what you are, but would you want to endure that forever? Indeed, would you want to endure anything forever? Let it be! Let it all be! War, famine, joy, dancing, birth, death... it all has its place. It all has its season. And there you are, in the midst of it, watching, feeling, being it all. You are now, and always were, citizens of the “Betwixt and Between.” You are bridges that connect and explore ALL OF IT. You peer into shadows, and your very gaze lights a candle in the darkness. You lie down in the meadow, and thousands, millions, even, lie down there beside you. Do you believe this?”

Building Bridges for the New KidsMany folks who listen to The Star Children CD, or read articles I have written about these New Kids, will ask me: “How can we help make things easier for our Next Generation as they awaken?”

Generally speaking, young people are not respected in society today. For Star Children to gain influence, and actually begin affecting the way we all see life and make decisions, they will need to be granted some of our authority. Slowly, this is beginning to happen. Thanks to the efforts of writers and researchers like Steve Rother, Lee Carroll, and Dr. Doreen Virtue, Star Children (or whatever they are being called) are gaining an audience. They are beginning to be heard.. . . .

Whether they are assisting us through a sharing of knowledge, financial support, or shared authority, BRIDGE PEOPLE are playing a huge role in the transformation process now occurring on Planet Earth. In some countries, they are even laying down their lives, so others can walk across them to new hope and freedom. Their powers and influence go way, way back. They are ancient souls, stepping forward to assist humanity as we learn to live in new and expanded ways.

This article is my way of saying “thanks” to all who have served this purpose in my life. It is also my way of sending out a clarion call to any Bridge People who still slumber. Arise! The time of Transformation is near! Your people await you. Wake up! Wake up!

www.reconnections.net

Copyright, 2005, by Daniel Jacob. All Rights Reserved. May be copied andshared, for purposes of personal growth and/or research, so long as theabove URL and this copyright are included. All reproduction for profit, byany means, requires the written permission of Reconnections, Inc.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Daniel Jacob is a conscious channel, writer, and a Bio-Energetic Body Worker who lives in the Greater Seattle area. On 11/11/91, he began working with a group of energies that called themselves "The Reconnections." Daniel has developed a complete archive of information that has come through from them on a number of relevant topics. Daniel and his associates have been doing research with people around the world, collating data and comparing notes on the topics of Physical Transmutation and Earth Changes. He has produced a 2-Part CD, on which he explains the story of "The Star Children" in depth. He calls it a "tonal infusion for the New Age." You can get more information about Daniel and his work by visiting his websites: www.thestarchildren.com and also www.reconnections.net, or by e-mailing him directly at: daniel@reconnections.net.

(from Dorothy): I am quite taken with the description of the "bridge people," and indeed, I feel I am in contact with several. The other major idea of the article, that we are to take no position on events and occurrences of our present world, gives more pause. I fully understand the need for "compassionate understanding," for viewing without hate and witnessing without becoming that which we deplore. But I am a bit hesitant to say that--for us who live in this moment--all that happens is merely a game, some kind of recreational outlet for the higher self. Part of me acknowledges that--in the very long run--what happens in our little world may seem like merely a dream of the spirit, not to be taken all that seriously. But for those who are the victims of presently occurring violence and cruelty, this philosophical distinction may seem like a callous disregard for the suffering of others. I think we need to find a balance between caring concern and copout. And I also think it is possible to make judgments (such as , "killing people is wrong,") without succumbing to hatred and vitriolic scorn. Inaction can create a vacuum where the wrong actions of others can easily prevail. (Sometimes, we need to sign petitions or join peaceful demonstations to let our government know where we stand.)

Monday, July 18, 2005

Beauty in the Midst of Everything

The following description, by Elizabeth Reninger, is a lovely reminder that moments of transcendent beauty occur even in the midst of widespread chaos. Elizabeth is spending the summer months as a yoga teacher at a Buddhist retreat center in Colorado.

Yesterday evening, at dusk, the sky was filled with lightning, a constant rumble of thunder (sometimes whisper-soft, sometimes resounding with a power that seemed to shake the mountains themselves) ... this along with a sweet wash of bird-song (coming from who-knows-where ... the birds themselves seemed to be hiding from the storm, even as they sang its praises). It wasn't yet raining, just this display of light and sound. I was walking slowly along a path through the valley's meadow, tall grasses, wildflowers ... a single deer and two fawns were feeding on the grass ... then the fawns suckled at the mother's teets (I had never seen this before). There was one other woman walking nearby ... mostly we shared this most amazing time in silence, an occasional meeting of eyes. Then the sun dropped into the space between the storm-clouds and the mountain ridge, bathing the meadow and eastern slopes in deep gold ... the lightning still stitching the sky above, with the thunder, and the deer with her fawns pausing, then bounding, then pausing again, sometimes looking up at us, curious but unafraid ... The land ~ even with the thunder and birdsong (perhaps because of it) ~ held a deep silence, a stillness within this rather dramatic movement above ... and then, just a couple minutes afer I arrived at my tent, the sky opened with a downpour of rain, within the thunder & lightning ... and the setting sun now illuminating even more brightly the entire thing (the raindrops, rain-streams themselves seemed to be shining down from shining clouds) ... I watched the storm for a while out of my tent window, streams of water soaking and pooling and running braided down the hillside, around and over the surface-roots of ponderosa pines ... And then the sun dropped behind the mountains, the sky darkening into night, and the rain, with the day-light, subsiding ... Around midnight I woke from a restless sleep, unzipped my tent, stepped outside beneath a completely clear, starry sky ... the ground beneath my feet still damp, yet the storm itself just a memory ...

Friday, July 15, 2005

Signs of the Times

Recently, I have discovered more and more people who are having "unusual experiences," once again confirming my belief that "something is going on."

One friend, who has been undergoing a difficult kundalini awakening process, went to a new doctor a few weeks ago in a city north of San Francisco. Almost immediately, in the initial interview, the doctor asked her if she was experiencing symptoms of kundalini (she was) and then she asked if it was a spiritual phenomenon (and again, it definitely was.) The doctor (female) then said she would help her to find ways to slow the process so that she could handle it and ultimately stabilize. She added that she had several other patients having similar experiences. My friend was relieved, and I was deeply impressed that someone in the field of traditional medicine was so knowledgeable about the ways of kundalini. So--the word is spreading!

Another friend described to me the most recent of a series of visits she has made to Argentina to commune with the whales. When she arrives, she goes (with others) out on a boat which anchors off shore and waits for the whales to appear. The whales offer valuable advice to the world, and in addition help those who come to deal with their own deep inner issues. Often the group is accompanied with professional therapists who are able to help with the processing of the deep material which is often released. Many significant psychological break throughs occur in this setting, often so poweful they effect total life changes.

And now, my friend's husband and (grown) daughters have also become involved in this process of spiritual unfolding, not only in terms of the visits with the "great beings" of the sea, but by becoming themselves more dedicated explorers of the inner realms. This is quite impressive, since the husband has spent his life as a high level business man, and the daughters are established in demanding professional positions in the corporate/government worlds.

So--instead of becoming estranged from her family by her mystical pursuits, my friend is taking her family with her on this most mysterious and wondrous inner/out voyage.

And, finally, I spoke with another friend, who in a recent meditation retreat was suddenly entered by a great shaft of light coming in through her skull and then traveling down through her body. This visitation brought up all kinds of cellular memories of grief and sadness, so intense it left her shaking and sobbing for over an hour. But when her experience subsided, she found that she had a great sense of relief and inner peace. She had finally been able to release issues which had plagued her for years. She understood more fully the nature of her life journey (which has included many unusual visionary and other experiences), and was empowered sufficiently to share with others feelings and memories she had kept locked inside for many, many years.

Monday, July 11, 2005

The Bridge People

An article recently published by Daniel Jacob (New Earth publications) offers some important insights as to what is occurring in the world today, in terms of spiritual awakening as well as the widespread appearance of a new kind of child. (I will discuss these "star children later.)

Jacob says, first of all, that at the recent Conscious Living Expo in Spokane, Washington, he saw almost as many awakened beings and soul healers in the audience as on the program. He feels that this emergence (in larger numbers) of Awakened Ones is part of the great "journey home" now underway on Planet Earth. And there are many "Bridge People" here now, those dedicated to helping others go through deep transition to more profound states of being. These "Bridge People" are the midwives of the new age. Many are "old souls in new bodies." They are to be found everywhere, in the shops and on the beaches, living apparently "normal" lives. But their mission is to assist in earth's difficult transition to the coming era. Among other things, the bridge people help us to reconnect with those "higher" parts of ourselves which were laid aside or forgotten when we came to earth in shrunken form.

Now comes the hard part. They call on us to see all others as reflections of ourselves, to view humanity as "one person, one being." This, they say, will lead us to the "new vibration," the "homing beacon of peace."

The "waking up" process he describes reminds me of Wordsworth's notion that we come to earth "trailing clouds of glory " but that these are quickly forgotten at birth. "Birth is but a sleep and a forgetting."

Jacob notes that many years ago, when he first entered the field of medical massage therapy, the field was held in great suspicion, since it was associated with the sex trade. Now, it is an accepted therapy, widely practiced and esteemed.

In similar fashion, when I first experienced kundalini awakening, I was living in a kind of "spiritual isolation" in Kansas. I did not know a single person who had even heard of kundalini, and I knew very little of it beyond Gopi Krishna's (now) famous account. At that time (some 25 years ago), I wrote in my journal that with the passage of time, more and more would awaken, and that they would recognize and support one another. The process would then accelerate exponentially, becoming ever more widespread, until it reached critical mass.

Are we now witnessing such a culmination?

SPECIAL EDITOR'S NOTE: New Earth Publications, publishers of CHILDREN OF THE NEW EARTH online and PlanetLightworker.com are proud to be sponsoring Daniel Jacob and The Reconnections at the Reconnections Conclave 2005, to be held in the magical surroundings of Glastonbury, Stonehenge and Avebury, England between September 18-24th, 2005. To find out more check out the itinerary details at Daniel's websit []

ABOUT Daniel Jacob:

Daniel Jacob is a conscious channel, writer, and a Bio-Energetic Body Worker who lives in the Greater Seattle area.. .Daniel and his associates have been doing research with people around the world, collating data and comparing notes on the topics of Physical Transmutation and Earth Changes. You can get more information about Daniel and his work by visiting his websites: www.thestarchildren.com and also www.reconnections.net, or by e-mailing him directly at: daniel@reconnections.net.

Friday, July 08, 2005

Touching the Guru's Feet

Here is an excerpt from the teachings of Shri Ramana Maharshi, a self-realized guru who commanded great respect in India until his death several years ago:

"A certain lady who had a lot of devotion performed a traditional ritual for worshipping sages whenever she came into Bhagavan's presence to have darshan. She would prostrate to Bhagavan, touch his feet and then put the hands that had touched Bhagavan's feet on her eyes.

After noticing that she did this daily, Bhagavan told her one day, 'Only the Supreme Self, which is ever shining in your heart as the reality, is the Sadguru. The pure awareness, which is shining as the inward illumination "I", is his gracious feet. The contact with these [inner holy feet] alone can give you true redemption. Joining the eye of reflected conciousness [chitabhasa], which is your sense of individuality [jiva bodha], to those holy feet, which are the real conciousness, is the union of the feet and the head that is the real significance of the word "asi" ["are", as in the mahavakya "You are That"]. As these inner holy feet can be held naturally and unceasingly, hereafter, with an inward-turned mind, cling to that inner awareness that is your own real nature. This alone is the proper way for the removal of bondage and the attainment of the supreme truth.'"

(coypright, Realization.org)

Would that all "gurus" would follow his example. Likewise, would that those who invest in extremely expensive sacred objects and icons would realize that the true Buddha costs nothing at all, for it is to be found in one's own heart.

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Beauty and Horror

Yesterday, I read a beautiful description of major kundalini awakening by "Master" Charles. As he gazed at a photo of Muktananda, he went into a state of transcendent bliss which he describes in moving prose in his book, "Bliss of Freedom." (The excerpt is contained on amazon.com for those wishing to read the original. I was unable to copy it to transcribe on this site.)

Some of the phrases he used to capture his unexpected kundalini opening are:"Wave upon wave of undulating ecstasy radiated outward to infinity. Everything within this shimmering reverberation was disappearing and reappearing, all form dissolving into itself, a reflection of hallucinogenic light within an ocean of delight."

His account is moving and splendidly written, one of the most affecting I have encountered.

Subsequent to his mystic awakening, Charles took the title of "Master." He now has many followers and disciples, who apparently look upon him as an all wise "guru," someone qualified to lead others infallibly from his elevated position.

I am impressed by his experience of opening, but I have known several others who have undergone similar sudden awakening. In fact, one friend went into ecstatic bliss when Muktananda (still in India) simply tapped her forehead,shortly after her arrival at his ashram. She remained in that state for many months (or possibly years), but instead of dubbing herself a "Master" she became a practitioner of a body therapy in order to help others resolve their own personal and spiritual issues. Others have found various ways to turn their experience into meaningful paths of nurturance and support. They have not taken titles nor assumed "roles" placing them on pedestals.

Today the news is devastating--bomb blasts in London, by some group intent on killing its way to achieve--what? (world domination?) Our leaders seem more lost than ever, offering boastful words and acts of retaliation, rather than reasoned response. I am not a prophet, but this world dilemma was clearly going to be the consequence of the choices made by those in power, from the outset. Unfortunately, we have stumbled blindly ahead, as more and more innocents suffer.

Catastrophe and transcendence--these two impulses emerge more and more like mirror images as the world heads toward ever increasing darkness in light/light in darkness. Clearly we are in the grips of ultimate crisis, which will lead to total transfiguration or possible annihilation.

Now, more than ever, we must hold our spiritual connections close, maintain our ties with the divine, and keep our friendships alive. We will need all the strength and support we can muster, as things continue to unfold in such disturbing and/or affirming ways.

Sunday, July 03, 2005

A Visit to Tibet

The San Francisco Asian Art Museum is currently showing an exhibit of Tibetan sacred art. I attended this exhibit yesterday, and was quite taken by the display. Among the many impressive items was a statue of an emaciated Milarepa. This early poet/saint practiced severe austerities--in fact, he was said to have turned green from eating only nettles.

There were also tankas, mandalas, statues of gods and goddesses, and ancient richly ornamented sacred robes and crowns.

Two monks had come from India to prepare a sacred sand mandala, and we witnessed the opening ceremony of blessing. We learned that the mandala exists first in heaven, then is translated to its material earth form, at which point the deity enters it to endow it with sacred power.

These experiences are so moving that I am never sure if I am witnessing an ancient practice from the vantage of the present, or if somehow I am literally in another time zone, experiencing a rite familiar from daily practice in a former (monastic) life. It wakens a deep yearning for robe and community, though one knows full well that such life is no longer available to the self in this particular incarnation.

Some local Tibetans were outside handing out leaflets protesting the fact the the exhibit did not include any explanation of the true source of the objects (stolen by the Chinese when they occupied Lhasa and took over the Potola Palace, home of the Dalai Lama.) They felt (quite understandably) that this omission was a serious error on the part of those who had arranged the display. Of course, the Chinese would never have agreed to release these objects, had the exhibit included such political background material. The Chinese do not want people to know the details of their ruthless takeover of this tiny country, nor of the millions of deaths which have subsequently occurred there. (Ironically, our own government seems little concerned with such blatant violation of human and national rights, seeing in China a promising trading partner we do not care to offend.)

I felt the Tibetans had good cause to complain, and hope that more people will take up the cause of Tibet as their plight gathers more and more attention. At the same time, I felt gratitude for this brief glimpse into a culture which I (like many today) hold in such personal esteem.

Friday, July 01, 2005

Bliss vs. External Awareness

Mind, then, or soul?Break free from subtle words. Only be still,Lay down the mind, submit, and Being thenIs Bliss, Bliss Consciousness: and That you are.

Arthur Osborne

These concluding lines from a poem by an early twentieth centure poet (see www.poetry-chaichana.com for the complete text) seem to capture the essence of the kundalini/mystical experience. Once again, we are admonished to let go of language and thought, and enter into unbroken bliss consciousness. And we are reminded that in such states we become our true Being.

And yet (and always there seems to be an "and yet"), in our present crisis we must, I think, turn to words to assess the realities around us, and to do our part to preserve a threatened world. We cannot afford simply to "disconnect," and float away entirely on our clouds of bliss.

Today I signed a petition imploring our leaders to appoint someone to the high court who is concerned with protecting our civil liberties from further assault. Bliss is our birthright, but so is freedom, and there seems to be less and less of this recently. We are indeed in perilous times. Often one feels as if the world is sleep walking toward ever growing threat of disaster. Will we wake up in time, or simply go over the cliff and perish together?

I think the trick for personal (psychic) survival is to cling to both, bliss and acute awareness. We should allow ourselves times of inner attunement but maintain our connection with the "outer" world of events and issues. Both are essential as we tread this narrow passage toward what may be an ultimate transition.

This site is dedicated to Patricia Lay-Dorsey, beloved friend, mentor, artist, and activist, who has given her life to making this world a better place. Click here to see Patricia's photographs. It was Patricia's photos that illustrated my blog from its beginnings through December 2006. From January 2007 through the present, the photos are my own unless otherwise noted.